Shifting Plot
by TerrierLee
Summary: PROO AU. Dax throws himself a pity party, Mack snaps him out of it. WIP.
1. Beginnings

AN: Alright. Behold my giant project. A MackDax AU that I will very much try to finish. Unlike some other fics that I have yet to finish... Watch as I look discreetly over to Love Hangover...

Ha ha. Well. I've pleased have at least started this. I hope you guys enjoy it.

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He never really auditioned. At least, he thought he didn't. He was pretty sure the last audition he went to ended him with a stunt job that didn't pay very well and all he really got at the end of the day was bruises from doing the same stunt over and over again.

So when he got that strange message from Hartford Media, one of the biggest companies out there, along with Bio-Lab and Mercer Industries, of course he was just a little skeptical. And now that he stood before the Hartford Estate, the skepticism shifted towards fear. What if he wasn't good enough? What if he wasn't the right material for the job?! What if--!!

The door opened, revealing a kindly old face. Dax jumped back, startled out of his thoughts.

"Ah, you must be Mister Dax." The old man proclaimed, opening the door all the way, taking Dax's suitcase without even asking. "This way, please."

Dax blinked, and then dumbly began to follow… the butler? through the house. He looked around; expecting to see maids and the like, but all he saw was the butler in front of him. He looked ahead of him, but the old man had vanished from his line of sight. Instead, Dax saw two doorways neither hinting where the old man went.

So he went left. If this hallway didn't proof any results, he could always backtrack and take the next one, Dax thought to himself. It was a brilliant plan. Truly brilliant. Until he stumbled onto three more doorways. Just… how big _was_ this place??

He went through the middle door, probably the wrong one, but he could always backtrack. Yeah.

Dax came upon a room, a TV in the corner; three couches surrounding it, and… was that a pool table? He spun around slowly, getting a good view of the room when the back of his knees collided with a couch, causing him to fall over backwards. Something other than a cushion broke his fall, and another 'Oof!' made him peer down.

Blue eyes caught his, and that was all he could see for a moment. Dax gulped, the noise seeming to echo inside his head. He was frozen, unmoving; every muscle appeared to be stuck in place.

_C'mon Dax! Move! Get off of him! Man, what a great first impression… on whoever I'm on top of?_

And just like that, his limbs were in action, and he heaved himself up onto the arm of the couch. His mouth opened, and out spilled words upon words, and when he really thought about it, nothing made he said made any sense. "Oh look I'm sorry I wasn't paying attention to where I was going and I really didn't mean to fall on you it was a pure innocent mistake and don't fire me because I dropped the other project I was in to be in this and if I got booted out of this gig than I'm pretty much screwe—"

"Woah!"

Whatever Dax was going to say next, the man, who at this point had sat up himself, held up a hand to stop the tirade of nonsense coming out of Dax's mouth. "It's okay, I'm not hurt, you're not hurt, nothing's hurt." The man dropped his hand, a smile doting on his face.

Dax swore, for that one millisecond, his heart stopped and he forgot how to breathe.

Another millisecond later and the old butler appeared, looking beyond distressed when he noticed the two men on the couch. "Master Dax! There you are! My, you gave me quite a fright. Sometimes I forget how big this place is." The butler's eyes traced the room, and stopped on the other man on the couch. "Master Mack, I thought you were in your hammock, sir?"

The man—Mack—just rubbed the back of his head, as if in a sheepish gesture, "Yeah, about that…"

The butler just waved a hand, a smile donning his face while there was a little teasing glimmer in his eye, "Ah, Master Mack, you never cease to amaze me." Mack just smiled back, Dax suddenly felt completely out of the loop.

He slid off the arm of the couch, realizing he probably shouldn't be sitting there in the first place, and that quickly got the butler's attention. "Oh yes, Master Dax. Mr. Hartford is still expecting you in the common room. We mustn't keep him waiting." Dax nodded, sneaking a look back at the curly haired man on the couch, before following the butler to the common room, only this time he made sure the butler was still in front of him.

Dax kept glancing back; intrigued by the man he met on the couch, wondering just who he was. The butler and him seemed to be on good terms, so why wasn't he joining Dax in the common room? Maybe they already went over pleasantries and such and he was just waiting?

Unable to stay quiet any longer, Dax coughed, as though clearing his throat, "Ah so… Mr. Butler?" _Oh that's real nice, Mr. Butler, how original._

But the butler only laughed, tossing a look back, "The name is Spencer, sir. But if Mr. Butler pleases you, by all means…"

Dax quickly put up his hands as if in mock surrender, "Oh I didn't mean it like that! No way!"

The butler—Spencer—laughed again. "Think nothing of it, sir. This was not the first time someone has called me that. In fact, when Master Mack was young, he used to call me Mr. Butler all the time. Of course, he was very young at the time." The gleam in his eye from earlier had returned, and Dax could only chuckle at the image of the man he just met as a toddler, calling this old man 'Mr. Butler.' He had to admit the visual was quite entertaining.

And since Spencer happened to mention Mack first… "Hey Spencer?"

"Yes, Master Dax?"

The blue-clad man rubbed the back of his head, "Well, ah, you seem to know Mack really well…"

The old butler nodded, "I've served Master Mack and his father for many years, even before the young master was born. I had the honor of being there for the delivery. Mrs. Hartford said it didn't feel right without the whole family."

Dax nodded, letting the information sink in. "I see…" As the information settled in his mind, he began to frown, "Wait, he's Mr. Hartford's _son_??"

Spencer nodded, pausing right outside of an open doorway, "Oh yes. Many don't quite believe it at first. Not with his blue eyes and brown curly hair, but those are all attributes he acquired from his late mother." He turned to Dax, "Now, sir, Mr. Hartford is right beyond this door, there he will tell you all the details. If you need anything, I'm sure I'll hear you." With that, Spencer took his leave, Dax pitted where he stood, before summoning up the courage to enter the room.

He took a deep breath, and took a step forward.

_Here goes nothing…_


	2. Somewhere In Between

AN: Oh snap I updated again. You guys at lucky. No, I'm just on a ROLL. And I was in a fix. This chapter fit so many different prompts it was CRAZY.

Enjoy! This will never happen again. Prolly. We'll see. I've been up all night! I'M SLEEP DEPRIVED. Watch as I dance!

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"No."

"But Da-"

"No, Mack. You know how I feel about this."

Mackenzie Hartford crossed his arms, mirroring his father but not caring about that. "So you'll risk the lives of other people? Come _on_, Dad, it won't be such a big deal—"

"And I said _no_." Andrew Hartford dropped his arms, uncomfortable with his mirroring son, and turned around, "I made my decision, and should do as well to listen. Now my guests will be arriving soon. Go… read a book or something. Just don't disturb my guests."

Mack glared at the back of his father's head, before turning on his heel and walking out of his father's study. Five steps later, the glare had lost its luster, and Mack slowed to a halt, leaning against the wall. His dad just didn't understand…

He groaned, pushing off the wall and continuing on his trek, making sure his father didn't see him still there. Who cared about his stupid guests?? Mack was his _son_, which should mean something. But no, ever since his mom died…

Mack's steps faltered, but he didn't stop, not even when he passed the table holding his newly acquired book. It was best not to think about mom, his father told him, when Mack awoke from a nightmare on night. It was better to live on, like this was the way they always had. Spencer would have to fill in the void.

He smiled a bit, remembering the old butler's reaction to that suggestion, and he finally stopped by a couch, sitting on it at first before finally laying down.

His dad said to not think about his mother, but at times like these, when his dad wouldn't let him do anything, not even to go out with friends, he was constantly confided to his house, and as rich as he was, it wasn't very filling. Now he knew how Wes and Trent felt back when they told him stories about their tiring times with their fathers, before they broke free.

At first, sure, he thought they were exaggerating, but then his mom died. And suddenly he was thrust into a ride he desperately wanted to get off of but his father had him pinned to the seat. No matter how much he struggled, he was stuck. And he hated it.

This house was too big for three people. Too big for four people, but the thought still stood. There was no way Mack could stay cooped up in this house for much longer.

_He needed to get out._

He had no idea when it happened, but at some point during his hate for his life, he began to doze off, only noticing when he was shocked awake by someone falling on him.

There was an 'Oof!' and then eyes. Dark brown eyes that penetrated Mack's own blue ones and all he could do was stare, like some… teenager!

Well, he was technically eighteen, and while that still made him a teen he was legally—

The man on top of Mack suddenly eased off, mouth running about how sorry he was and something about getting fired and he was really sorry about something and—

"Woah!" Mack put up a hand, trying to stop the brigade of words coming from the other man. "It's okay, I'm not hurt, you're not hurt, nothing's hurt." He smiled, he couldn't help it, but this guy was so… cute? Woah, where did that thought come from?

He couldn't dwell on that thought for very much longer; Spencer appeared in the doorway, looking completely flustered, his eyes as wide as saucers when he located the man who fell on top of Mack. "Master Dax! There you are! My, you gave me quite a fright. Sometimes I forget how big this place is."

_Dax? That's his name? Huh, it fits_. Mack looked back and forth between Spencer and… Dax. _I guess this is Dad's major guest he didn't want me to meet._ His lip twitched. _Oops_.

"--were in your hammock, sir?"

Mack blinked, caught at spacing out and just rubbed the back of his head, clearly embarrassed, "Yeah, about that…"

But he never got to come up with an explanation. Spencer just waved at him, a knowing smile on his face, one that Mack knew well, "Ah, Master Mack, you never cease to amaze me."

Mack smiled back; glad someone in this damn house was at least somewhat supporting him. A quick movement out of his corner of his eye made him focus on that Asian next to him, and suddenly it was like all attention went on Dax. Spencer, like he never even paused to engage Mack on some inside jokes, pounced, figuratively speaking, "Oh yes, Master Dax. Mr. Hartford is still expecting you in the common room. We mustn't keep him waiting."

Dax just nodded, and Mack walked the other man follow the family butler, and he didn't miss the quick looks over the shoulder.

The young Hartford man lay back down on the couch, propping his head up on the arm Dax sat on. He didn't know why, but it seemed like the house was going to get a whole lot more interesting…


	3. Strangers

AN: This... took forever to write because of Will, Ronny, and Rose. Blame THEM. Not me. Ehh... sorry for the small update. I plan on working on the next chapter right away.

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There were three others in the room. Two women, one small with dark hair, the other a bit taller, blonde, and both were looking at the interior of the room with some interest. The third member of the room was a black man, his hair braided back, looking a bit bored, but curious as Dax entered the room.

They all looked normal enough, and it took him a while to notice that, yes, it was only them four in the room. Mr. Hartford was nowhere in sight. Dax stood by the corner, unsure what he should be doing.

Seconds stretched like minutes, and the smaller woman blew a bubble with her gum, popping it before drawing it back into her mouth, making a bunch of smaller popping noises with the action, Dax jumped from his corner.

That caused the other man in the room to chuckle, while the blonde woman only blinked. Dax frowned, slowly beginning to recognize just who was in the room with him. He was pretty sure that tall blonde was a famous racecar driver and the smaller woman was a child prodigy. He vaguely remembered something on a 20/20 session about another child prodigy who went to high school at age twelve, but no one liked him much.

And the black man… He radiated importance, but Dax was unsure what kind of importance it was exactly. He opened his mouth, about to ask for names, when Mr. Andrew Hartford walked into the room, Spencer at his heels with a tray of what looked like lemonade.

"Ah good, you'll all here!" Mr. Hartford clapped his hands together, a smile bright on his face. _It was just as nice as Mack's_, Dax thought offhandedly, and then he blinked. Where did _that_ come from?

Mr. Hartford was talking again, too caught up in the job details to notice Dax giving his head a small shake, but it was a small enough gesture that it caught the eye of the tall blonde. Her eyes narrowed for a moment, but then quickly focused her attention back on Mr. Hartford.

… Who was calling his name.

_Oh shi--!!_

"Yes…?" Dax hoped he was the only one who heard the subtle quiver in his voice. Hartford's hand gripped his shoulder, pulling him into everyone's line of vision, that cheerful smile still on his face.

"Since this is a highly top secret job, I couldn't risk hiring many people, so… I'll have Dax Lo do all your stunts."

There was a pause, followed by a deep roar in his ears. Had he heard right? His big break to finally get somewhere in his acting career had him doing stunts? Again?!

He tried opening his mouth in protest, that this wasn't what he signed up for, but Hartford clapped his shoulder before turning away, motioning the other three around him as he "went over more specific details."

Dax backtracked, hitting a wall before slumping down. His big chance… gone.

Now what?


	4. Just Passing Through

AN: This is dedicated to M.L. Shards. I was ready to scrap this idea when she reviewed. Thanks M.L. Shards, you really motivated me.

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It had been about an hour or so, Mack was never sure how much time had passed when he picked up a book, and the house, the surrounding area of the mansion anyway, was unusually quiet. Especially when his father had company over.

He put his book down, figuring the Baron could wait a minute or two, and walked the two hallways to the main rec room. A quick scope of the room showed anyone who was in here left a while ago, and Mack was just about to continue his trek, his stomach started to growl, when something caught his eye.

Mack turned, not expecting someone to be huddled behind the pool table, legs drawn up to their chest, arms folded on top of their knees, head bowed, rising with each breath. He took a quick look around, before walking over, hand reached out to pat the guy on the shoulder, "Hey there, you alright?"

The person's head shot up, making Mack pause mid-reach. Dax's eyes were wide, as if he wasn't aware someone was in the room, when he slowly leaned back, plopping his head against the wall, "Oh… it's just you… uh, Mack. I thought everyone left with Mr. Hartford…" Dax closed his eyes, giving a heavy sigh. "I should have never come here. It was a huge mistake."

Mack frowned, feeling a little silly as he pulled his hand back, but he walked over, taking a seat next to the other man, "What do you mean?"

Dax let out another sigh, "It's stupid."

The younger Hartford man raised a brow, "If it's bothering you so much, it's not stupid." He gently bumped shoulders, "C'mon, spill."

Dax bit his lower lip, letting his head hang, "I thought… I thought I finally found my big break. A real _role_. Not just some stunt work. I've been doing it for so long…" He shook his head, "I knew it was too good to be true. I didn't even audition for anything and then this rich old guy tells me he has work for me and I believed it." He brought his head back, hit the wall with a thump, repeating it with each word, "I'm so _stupid_!" With the final thump, Dax let his head rest on the wall, his face looking the other way.

Mack looked down, giving a sigh of his own. He stared hard at the wall across the room, before looking next to him, "It's not stupid, you know."

Dax gave out a huff, still looking off to the side. "Yes it is. I'm not good enough."

Mack's eyes narrowed. "Dax." He shifted on his knees, kneeling next to the other man, "Dax, listen to me, my dad's an ass. I know this, Spencer knows this, those others he hired will soon know this. I'm sorry you had to find out this way. But you are good enough." He gave a small smile, "Alright? Don't sell yourself short."

Dax winced at the words, but he slowly turned his head around… and nearly choked. He blinked hard, mentally shaking his head. He took a deep breath. "Thanks Mack. Thanks a lot…"

Mack let his smile grow, "Don't mention it." He stood up, holding out a hand, "Let's get something to eat, I'm starving."

The stuntman grinned, taking Mack's hand and letting him be hoisted to his feet, before the two found the small kitchen area. It was later, when Spencer found them sprawled out on the couch, plates with half eaten sandwiches on the coffee table, movie credits still running. He only chuckled, picked up the two plates and turned off the television before leaving the two alone. He would scold them for sleeping on the couches another time.


End file.
